The New York Times reported
today that that
Pakistan’s newly democratically elected government seeks to negotiate a truce with militants in the country’s tribal areas.
The last truce between the Pakistani government and these militants resulted in the creation of a safe haven for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, resulting in increased violence in
Afghanistan.
If the Pakistani government moves forward with this plan, the U.S. is faced with some unattractive options. The U.S. can continue providing aid to Pakistan as a reward for the transition of power to a democratically elected government, despite that government following a policy directly counter to U.S. interests. Or the U.S. can make aid contingent on the U.S. being able to engage in predator attacks on suspected militants in this region, thereby risking destabilization of the democratic Pakistani government.
There are no easy answers to this situation. How a Presidential candidate would respond would provide valuable insight into the judgment he or she will exercise as commander and chief. I hope that the media asks the candidates what they would do in Pakistan.
-Law Dude
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